Fishing Tour: Enjoy Your Best Fishing Days in Cascais

Photo: Fishing Days in Cascais.

A lighthouse that is overlooking the ocean and some 100-meter-high cliffs where the big waves crash. This is Cabo da Roca, the most western point of Europe and one of the most spectacular Portuguese tourist attractions. Surrounded by wild nature, although easy to reach, and far from mass tourism, this place is amazing.

Due to its position, Portugal has a strong sea faring tradition. Portuguese explorers, like Vasco da Gama, have discovered new world destinations and many of them returned to Cascais after their voyages.

Cascais is placed on the Central Western coast of Portugal. Long time ago, many of the royals made their summer homes in this town as they had a keen interest in the sea. Also, fishermen have lived in Cascais and they fished the local waters for centuries. This town has long supplied fish not only Lisbon, but also a large part of the country.

Nowadays, much of the delicious fresh fish which is served in the local restaurants is caught and sold daily in Cascais´ fish market.

Photo: Cabo da Roca.

Cascais can be easily reached from Lisbon due to the regional trains leaving from Cais do Sodré train station. This journey lasts about thirty minutes and the trains are pretty frequent: there is one leaving every twenty minutes. Besides, there are some buses that connect Cascais with Lisbon, Sintra and Cabo da Roca.

Cascais is close to the international airport, it has professional fishing crews, some luxurious sandy beaches and a charming historic center. All these can make it one of the best holidays attractions from Portugal.

In Cascais, the summers are warm and dry, and most of the time clear. Here the winters are cool, wet, and of course partly cloudy. This town is windy year-round. Normally, the temperature here varies from 51°F to 79°F and it rarely reaches below 45°F or above 89°F.

Considering all these, the best time of year to visit Cascais, especially if you are looking for hot-weather activities, is from mid-July to early September.

The sun and wind conditions from Cascais make sailing, surfing, kite surfing, and also windsurfing popular tourist activities in this region.

Photo: Beaches Around Cascais. Portugal.

The Casa da Guia is a place where you can experience a unique shopping, cultural and leisure concept. It is housed in a 19th-century mansion that was renovated by the architect Cláudio Wanderley and it is surrounded by two hectares of gardens that extend along the cliff tops, overlooking the Atlantic Ocean.

On the inside you will find an innovative shopping concept, which features many stores and an art gallery. On the outside however, there is an area for excellent restaurants, shops, culture and leisure that represents the perfect settings to enjoy a stunning view of the sea.

The Santa Marta Lighthouse was founded in the 17th century next to the Casa de Santa María and it is part of a great complex on the south end of Cascais. This lighthouse and fort now count with a small museum which presents the site’s history and the development of the optical devices that were used in Portugal’s lighthouses. Here you can find some interactive collections of lights and optics along with several multimedia presentations.

Photo: Santa Marta lighthouse. Cascais.

There are many beautiful beaches along Portugal´s coast that attract groups of tourists to Cascais. Praia da Rainha, Praia da Conceiçao and Praia da Duquesa are some of them.

The beaches around Cascais are perfect for surfing and near you can find several surfing schools and courses, from beginners to advanced. Some other water sports that you can practice in the area are windsurf and water ski. Besides, if you want to have some fun, you can rent a banana boat.

Praia da Ribeira from Cascais overlooks the municipal square, it is a little bit bigger than other beaches around and it usually gets less crowded. This beach has an area which is equipped with umbrellas and the rest of it is free. This place is fit for families that are traveling with kids, but not only.

Photo: Praia da Ribeira. Cascais.

Cascais is a fishing village where fishermen push their boats off the beaches at sunrise and later on return with their catch. Dorado, octopus, róbalo, crabs, and mussels are just a few of the fishes you can get here. Then they gather hospitably around the tables on the dock for a lunch with local wine, fresh bread, and of course fish soup which is served from enormous pots.

Regardless of what you’re in the mood for, one of these tables here will surely have you settled. With an extensive variety of menus and locations, there are several options you can choose from.

Photo: Join a fishing tour in Cascais.

Portugal is placed on the Continental Shelf, so in this country you can consider a fishing trip. There is a variety of fish that you can go and deep-sea fish for. On these shores the large predatory fish like the tuna or the shark will come in to feed on the smaller fish. Besides, the smaller fish live in shallow coastal waters, so maybe you should consider these places to go for.

In Portugal you can fish for hundreds of different marine fish, including bass, shark, tuna, bluefish, and swordfish, to name a few.

Photo: Cascais historic center.

Predicting the best time to fish in Portugal is not an easy task. It’s not just a matter of choosing a time when it is better to do it, as there are other factors to consider, including conditions, which can make or break a fishing trip. However, it seems like the best time to fish in Portugal is from July through October, although great fishing can be done in spring and fall throughout the country.

Consider to trade the buzz of the city for a peaceful fishing trip in the marvelous waters off the Atlantic coastline of Portugal. Just cast your line from the side of the boat and then wait for your first bite. After that, you can grill your fresh lunch, swap tips with your fellow crew members, and certainly admire the views of the stunning shore.

Before you rent a charter boat, please check to see their policy on fishing. Consider that many will only use the catch and release method. So, if you are not that experienced in big game fishing, you´d better rent a one day or half-day fishing charter. This is because the guides on these charters are professional and they will help you have some wonderful fishing memories.

Photo: Praia da Rainha. Cascais.